Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has announced plans to sue Kola Olabisi, spokesperson for the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), for 5 billion naira in damages over an allegedly defamatory statement.
Olabisi accused Adeleke of being complicit in a viral recording featuring a supposed PDP chieftain, who allegedly threatened to bomb the state electoral commission and kill its top officials. He called for an investigation into the governor and other PDP leaders for purportedly directing the issuance of the recording.
In a statement released by his spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, Adeleke condemned Olabisi’s allegations as “irresponsible” and demanded a retraction or face legal consequences.
“The allegation is reprehensible, baseless, and defamatory,” Rasheed said. “The governor has instructed his lawyers to assess the situation and demand a retraction, as he has not planned or plotted any attack on INEC or any electoral official.”
Rasheed warned that failure to retract the statement could lead to a libel suit. “This deliberate falsehood will have consequences,” he added.
He also noted that since the Edo election, some Osun APC operatives have been openly boasting about plans to violently rig the 2026 governorship elections. Rasheed emphasized that Adeleke is committed to pursuing legal action over what he termed a grave accusation.